When It Rains It Pours
by Violet to Blue
Summary: Joe LaFiamma would rather miss his first Christmas in Houston than spend it away from his family. Can his partner Levon Lundy help him pull through?
1. Chapter 1

**Houston Knights** is an American crime drama set in Houston, Texas. The show ran on CBS from 1987 to 1988 and had 31 episodes. The core of the show was the partnership between two very different cops from two different cultures. Chicago cop Joe LaFiamma is transferred to the Houston Police Department after he kills a mobster from a powerful Mafia family and a contract is put out on him. In Houston he is partnered with Levon Lundy, the grandson of a Texas Ranger. Although as different as night and day, and after a rocky beginning the two cops form a successful partnership and become friends. During the series, it is revealed that both LaFiamma and Lundy have their own personal demons. LaFiamma comes from a Mob family himself and his Chicago police partner was killed when he went ahead while LaFiamma waited for backup to arrive. Lundy´s wife was killed by a car bomb that was intended for him.

Standard Disclaimer: Houston Knights belongs to Jay Bernstein and Michael Butler and Columbia Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fan fiction, written out of love for the shows. I am making no money off this. I have no money so please don't sue me. Any original characters who may appear in these stories are the property of the author.

Houston Knights Fanfiction

 **When It Rains It Pours**

By Violet to Blue

Chapter 1

When Joe LaFiamma had still been in Chicago, embedded it the lap of his large Italian family, he had never felt like this. He would, back then, never have thought that any of this could ever change. Nor had he anticipated how that change would feel.

But everything had changed nonetheless and the feeling that had taken possession of him had no name and much less an equivalent in his prior life. Which did not make it less real or easier to bear. On the contrary.

He remembered the cold and the relentless wind of his hometown. But back home the cold had been crisp and it had always carried the promise of a snowy silent night and a homecoming to a warm welcome. This alone had made the cold and wind a welcomed and indispensable feature of the season. The one did not go without the other. The warmth and comfort did not go without the cold and the winter.

Didn´t they always say that you could only appreciate the good times when you had experienced the bad times before? Yeah, well, bullshit!

He had been thrown into a strange state, a strange city, a group of colleagues who would rather see him gone today than tomorrow. A climate that was too hot in summer and not cold enough in winter. Winter did not bear the twinkle of frost on its brow but came about as wet as a drowning cat. Winter in Houston was a wrung out floor rag.

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Levon Lundy had kept a close eye on his new colleague. They had been partners for a few months now and at first Levon had thought that Joe had started to adjust, to fit in. He had realized how wearing the hot climate in Houston must be for the Northerner, who came from the fresh weather of Chicago. So Levon had naturally assumed that the end of summer would be a respite for the younger man. And at first it had seemed that it was exactly that. Joe had seemed better.

But as winter began things had changed for the worse. Since the beginning of December Joe´s mood had plummeted even more and close to Christmas Levon found it hard to remember when his partner had last spoken a non-work related word with him or anyone else in the bullpen.

Hopefully today´s HPD Christmas party would cheer Joe´s mood a bit.

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First Joe had wanted to evade the Christmas party altogether. But all day the colleagues had reminded him to come along. As he did not have a vehicle of his own, they had planned who would take along whom so that they all would get there on time. So there had just been no way out. Finally Joe had resolved to just go along and quietly slip out as soon as possible.

So when the time came to quit work at the station, Joe had without a word trailed along and joined Levon, Carol and Joe-Bill for the ride in the Jimmy. The colleagues´ general mood was good, jokes flew back and forth in a light banter. Joe kept his head low, trying not to be noticed for his lack of participation in the joking and laughing.

The party was to take place in a large restaurant the HPD had rented for the occasion. An extensive buffet lined one wall and a DJ had been engaged to provide music and an accompanying light show. The colleagues in Levon´s Jimmy had been one of the last groups to arrive. Though the crime related activities in Houston seemed to have calmed down before Christmas the officers of the Major Crimes Unit had been the last to leave the station.

While Levon, Carol and Joe-Bill immediately joined Joanne and Annie at the bar, Joe stood a bit to the side, overlooking the large crowd of animatedly talking and laughing people. After a few minutes he saw Joanne give a nod and following the direction of her gaze he recognized the Chief of Police. Picking up her signal as the go she had meant it, the Chief picked up the microphone at hand and started out on his annual digression on the glory of their work.

He did not listen to any of what the Chief said. Instead Joe´s thoughts wandered into the past and all the Christmases he had spent in Chicago. There had also been parties at the Chicago Police Department and last year his partner Steven Szabo and his wife had taken part. The thought of his dead partner hurt deeply. It was as if a cold steel band was tightening around Joe´s heart. Applause at the Chief´s speech made him look up. Never before in all his life had he felt so lost and lonely in a crowd. He pressed against the wall and slowly moved towards the back door where the restrooms were. Perhaps he could just slip out unnoticed.

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"Where´s your partner, Levon?" From the beginning of Joe´s assignment in Houston Detective Sergeant Annie Hartung had taken Joe under her wings. She had seen the hurt and vulnerability behind the good manners of the young man. Levon set down the bottle of beer and looked around, then shook his head.

"Dunna, Annie," Levon´s voice was slightly slurry with the effect of the alcohol. "I ain´t that boy´s keeper."

Annie frowned. "When have you last seen Joe?" she tried again.

"Annie, cut it, we ain´t Siamese twins." Levon turned away, leaving her sitting in her wheel chair in the middle of the dance floor. She shook her head. She knew Levon wasn´t like that, she knew he cared about Joe. But the two men were just too much alike, both stubborn, hurting and lonely. Neither of them was prepared to give in, neither was prepared to open up.

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Getting out into the night air had been a relief. Joe breathed deeply. The air was colder than expected, almost like home. A cloud of moisture appeared in front of his face as he exhaled. Quickly he stepped away from the restaurant, not looking back inside at the crowd of people talking, eating, laughing and dancing. He wanted to free himself from the weight that was keeping his heart in a tight grasp. He did not really think which way to turn. He started to walk into the night, his thoughts circling his former and his present life. After a while it started to rain but he still walked on, oblivious of the rain soaking his jacket and running down his back.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Levon kept his head down when Joanne burst out of her office.

"Lundy, LaFiamma, in my office, now."

Joe got up and headed for the Lieutenant´s office. When he reached the door he looked back over his shoulder.

Lundy sighed. Though he did not feel up to the job today, just like the majority of the colleagues, he knew he had no choice. He heaved himself out of his chair, careful not to garnish his enormous hangover with too great a headache.

Joanne scanned the two detectives. She knew that Levon had been drinking too much at the party last night. How Joe had spent the evening, she had no idea. She had seen him at the beginning of the party but had quickly lost him in the crowd. She put her musings aside.

"Levon, Joe, I need you to go to the harbor. One of Sutton´s snitches has informed him that Dexter was seen near his warehouse an hour ago. I want you to bring him in, the APB has been out too long on that scum." She could feel her rage rise. Dexter had kidnapped a fifteen-year old girl a few months ago and even though they had no evidence they were all convinced that he was responsible for the girl´s death.

Joe had already turned around to comply with her order. Levon hesitated for an instant. Joanne seemed to sense his reservation. "Levon, let Joe drive." He nodded, knowing that she was right.

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When they reached the warehouse, Joe and Levon split. Joe took the back door, Levon went in through the front entrance. Levon went from one room to the next, without finding anyone. He was almost at the end of the corridor and expecting to meet Joe, when he heard his partner shout.

"Dexter, drop the gun. You´re not getting anywhere." Joe´s voice was cold as ice.

Dexter laughed. "Who do you think you´re foolin´? If you don´t let me go this woman is dead meat." The sound of Dexter´s voice was eerie. Then there was silence. Levon peeked around a corner. What he saw made him gasp. Joe had stepped aside. He couldn´t do anything but let Dexter pass. The man had a revolver at a young woman´s throat. Dexter shoved the hostage out through the door into the yard and towards a car. Joe aimed at him all the time but it was useless. He was well aware that he even endangered the life of the young woman and he knew he could not risk to injure or even kill her.

At last Dexter had her in the car and he peeled rubber. Levon and Joe both ran for their vehicle. Joe jumped behind the wheel, forcing the car to a kick-start. Levon held on to the handle above the door and with the other hand got hold of the microphone. "92-14, we need backup, warehouse 34, quayside harbor premises. We have a hostage situation." Levon found it hard to get the call across. Joe´s style of driving was breathtaking, he had to admit.

"No!" Joe´s cry made Levon turn his gaze straight ahead. Dexter´s car was heading right for the quay. A second before it crashed into the water the driver´s door opened and Dexter jumped out. He rolled away from the descending car. Joe hit the brakes hard and the Jimmy swerved to a screeching halt. The partners jumped out simultaneously. Levon sped after Dexter who was seeking refuge behind a container, thus evading Levon´s aim.

Joe took one stride towards the quay, shed his jacket, the holster with his guns and his shoes. Without a moment´s hesitation he dove into the water, head first.

Levon was torn. He knew he could not let Dexter get away. But he also wanted to help his partner. In a spit second he had to make a choice. He followed Dexter. For a few minutes he trailed the criminal on his meandering course through the lanes and around the containers between the warehouses. Then there were the sirens of a patrol car in front of them. Dexter looked around wildly, searching for a way out, to no avail. The patrol car blocked his way. The uniformed colleagues jumped out and faced him at point blank. With an eerie laugh Dexter put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

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Still trying to shake off the image of the suicide he had just witnessed, Levon ran back to the quayside. The water was dark and clouded, and there were bubbles coming up from somewhere, most likely the car. Then there was nothing else. Levon was still panting and a cold fear gripped his heart. Why did Joe not come up again? Out of the corner of his eye he perceived a motion beside him and he looked into the faces of the uniformed colleagues who had followed him.

Then, all of a sudden there was a vortex like movement in the water and the body of the young woman emerged, her arms outstretched and her face pointing downwards and remaining under the surface.

Levon kicked off his boots and jumped in. He got hold of the young woman and lifted her up to be received by the helping hands of the uniforms. They pulled her out of the water and started to administer CPR immediately.

Levon dipped his head under the surface in an attempt to see in the clouded water. Where was Joe? He took a deep breath and dove down, down towards the point where he suspected the car. He couldn´t see anything but with his outstretched hands he searched for signs of his partner. Then he felt something soft and he got hold of what felt like an arm. With all the force he could muster he pulled, but the body did not move upwards. He dove down deeper, searching Joe´s body with his hands and finally finding Joe´s foot entangled in what seemed to be the seatbelt of the car. Levon´s lungs felt like bursting. In one big effort he yanked Joe´s foot free and pulled the lifeless body up towards the surface. As he immerged he greedily sucked in the air, coughing and spitting out water.

The uniforms got hold of Joe´s shoulders and pulled him up. His dead weight was hard to handle but they did not give in easily. Finally they had him lying on the quay. While Levon saw the officers frantically working on the two unconscious bodies, he had to take a minute to catch his breath and to fight the dizziness. Then he reached for the cat ladder and with shaking hands pulled himself up to the street level.

Levon´s eyes were glued to his partner´s pale face. Joe wasn´t breathing and one of the officers was pumping his chest in an attempt to press out any water that might be blocking his airways. Levon felt tempted to push the other man aside to take over but he knew the officer was doing his best. From behind him Levon heard the young woman cough and spit out water. Her eyes were wide in shock and the officer who had reanimated her spoke to her in a soothing voice.

Levon veered around to the Jimmy and reached for the microphone, calling in to dispatch to send two ambulances. When he turned back the patrol cop had rolled Joe onto his side. At last a gush of water sputtered from Joe´s mouth. His lips were still blue. After another agonizingly long moment he finally started to cough and to breathe. Levon knelt down and the eyes that fluttered open in the white face of his partner were almost black. Joe looked around frantically and panted, spitting out water and couching violently. Levon laid his arm around Joe´s shoulders and helped him sit up. Oblivious of his own wet clothes he perceived that Joe was shaking. He looked around for a jacket or blanket.

In the distance he could hear the wailing sirens of the ambulances.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The paramedics had shipped the two patients off to the hospital. Joe had protested but it was pretty obvious that he wasn´t up to anything. Levon called Joanne and after hearing his brief report and his plea to bring his spare set of dry clothes, she promised to meet him at the hospital.

Levon changed into the dry clothes and reentered the ER waiting room. Joanne was on the public phone, nodding and acquiescing in the unheard words of the counterpart on the other end of the line. When she put down the receiver she turned to face him.

"Levon, that was the Chief. You know who that young woman is?" Levon shook his head, and Joanne continued. "She´s the daughter of Senator Read. She was kidnapped only last night. It hadn´t even been reported yet." Seeing Levon´s incredulous gaze she added: "Her father must have thought he could outwit Dexter without involving the police." She shook her head emphasizing her own opinion about the matter.

"Yeah, pretty foolish of her father. How is she? And how´s Joe? Have you spoken to a doctor?" Levon was anxious to get news about his partner´s condition.

"No, not yet," Joanne said, her own frustration voiced clearly. "Come on, Levon, sit down. Wearing a hole in the floor will not make waiting any easier."

Reluctantly Levon sat down on the chair beside her. "Do you know if Dexter demanded a ransom?"

Joanne shook her head. "I guess we´ll find out in the investigation. IA will also be involved."

The scene of Dexter´s suicide replayed before Levon´s mental eye. He shuddered. It was hard to believe that this dangerous villain had offed himself. Levon did not want to imagine what could have happened to the hostage or to them if things had gotten out of hand. His musings were interrupted by a man in white entering the room. Joanne and Levon jumped to their feet simultaneously and met him in the middle of the room.

"Are you from the HPD?" he asked.

"Joanne Beaumont, I am Sergeant LaFiamma´s superior. How is he? And how is Senator Read´s daughter?"

"The young woman has suffered a severe shock and a light concussion. She was very lucky. Without help she would never have survived the plunge." The pause the doc made caused Levon to wince. He felt the urge to grab the doc by his collar and shake the desired information out of him. Joanne must have sensed his feelings because she quietly laid her hand on his arm to hold him back.

"Sergeant LaFiamma has inhaled quite a lot of water, which we have tried to drain from his lungs. He has also suffered a shock but he is otherwise generally ok. We will keep him here overnight for observation. He did not take it kindly but it is absolutely indispensable to make sure that there will be no complications to his respiratory system."

Levon could hear Joanne give a sigh of relief beside him. He knew he would not feel that relief before he had seen with his own eyes that Joe was ok. "Can I see my partner?" he asked.

"Well, normally I´d say that he should rather rest than receive visitors." With a frown the doc scanned Levon´s face and perceived his impatience. "He´s in room 226. Please don´t stay too long." Before he doc had spoken the last word Levon was out of the waiting room.

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Another day to Christmas and here he was stuck in a hospital. Not that Joe had anywhere to go on Christmas Eve. He wasn´t even sure his family would notice that he wasn´t in his apartment. Would they call from Uncle Mickey´s house when they were all sitting together in the large dining room to send their greetings?

A violent coughing fit shook Joe and when he looked up he noticed his partner standing in the doorway, uneasily running the brim of his hat through his fingers.

"How yah doin´, LaFiamma?" Levon became acutely aware that not using his partner´s first name gave the situation an impersonal touch, something that did not at all reflect the anxiety he had gone through during the last hour.

"I´m ok, really." Joe reached for a handkerchief and coughed again, his action belying his words.

Levon reached out and moved the chair up to the bed. He picked up the oxygen mask Joe had shed and held it up. "Shouldn´t you be wearing this?"

"Yeah, but I can´t cough with the mask." Another fit shook Joe and at last he sank back against the pillow exhaustedly. When Levon offered him the mask he took it and put it over his nose, panting for air, his eyes closed. After a while his breathing calmed down and Levon already thought that he had fallen asleep.

Then Joe spoke. "What happened?"

"You don´t know?"

"Sure I know, I just don´t know how I got out of the water. I remember that I found the girl in the car. But I had already been down too long. I just pushed her up but then I was caught in something that held me down. Then I thought it was over."

There was just that tiny quiver in Joe´s voice that gave away what he had gone through. Sure, he had been saved in time. But there still was that trace of shock and anxiety which he could not hide.

"Your foot was entangled in the seatbelt, that´s what held you down." Levon gave the explanation quiet matter-of-factly. He refrained from adding what had been on the tip of his tongue: _If I hadn´t gone in after you, you would be dead._

But Joe knew nonetheless. And thinking about it he suddenly asked himself if it wouldn´t have been for the better, just to have it over with.

Levon frowned. He knew something was going on but he just could not put his finger on it. He knew that Joe was homesick and lonely, especially so close to Christmas. But he did not know how to help his partner. Ever since Joe had involuntarily been transferred to Houston, they had been fighting like cats and dogs. Now it was hard to break the habit, to show that behind the snide remarks there was a caring soul.

"What about Dexter?" Joe tried to force his thoughts away from himself and back to the job they had been assigned to.

"Offed himself before we could bring him in." The bloody scene had a nightmarish touch, it would probably haunt him for some time, Levon thought. Not wanting Joe to dwell on the matter, Levon changed the subject. "You know that you saved the girl´s life?"

"Yeah, the doc said as much," Joe said with a shrug, his voice becoming quieter with every word. "Can´t you get me out of here? I don´t wonna…" even before he had finished the sentence, Joe had fallen asleep.

Levon got up and pulled the blanket up to cover his partner. Joe´s face was very pale and it looked so young and vulnerable. Levon swore that things would change in the future, that he would do his best to make things right for Joe. He knew that their constant fighting was part of what was ailing his partner. And he was determined to finally change things for the better.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Levon had been right. When he entered the hospital ward the next morning he could already from afar hear Joe argue with the doctor. Which obviously meant that Joe was better.

"You are not out of danger yet. There can be severe repercussions even up to 72 hours." The doctor looked at the chart in his hand and wrote something down.

"I´m fine, Doc, didn´t even have to cough anymore during the night." Joe was standing beside the bed in a hospital gown, disgustedly looking down at the remains of his clothes in his hands. When he perceived a motion at the door he looked up and met Levon´s eyes.

"Did you bring my clothes, Lundy? I really want to get out of here as soon as possible." Joe´s jaw was set in determination.

"Easy, boy, why don´t you take the chance to get an extra holiday? The Lieutenant is not expecting you back until well after Christmas." What Levon presumed to be a welcomed opportunity to get away from work, did not seem to appeal to Joe.

"Yeah, that´s like you, Lundy. I prefer to get the hell out of here asap. Did you bring me something to wear?"

Levon handed over the bag with the clothes he had picked up at Joe´s apartment. Joe peeked inside and raised an eyebrow. "Jeans?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"You´re not expecting me to go to the station in jeans, are you?" Joe pulled out the garment and held it up between two fingers, as if it was something disgusting.

"You´re not going to the station, it´s as simple as that." Levon was not quite sure how to get the message across to Joe. The boy was just too stubborn for his own good.

"Mr. LaFiamma is not leaving yet. I have not given him the ok for a discharge," the doc cut in.

"Where do I have to sign, Doc? I know that I am the only one responsible here and I am not rejecting the responsibility for myself. You don´t have to be afraid to get sued." Joe slipped into the jeans, obviously he had changed his mind: better make do with the options at hand than stay in the hospital. He pulled the hospital gown over his head and threw it onto the bed. From the bag he retrieved a shirt and donned it copiously. Though Joe seemed to be generally ok, Levon wondered why his partner suddenly sat down on the bed and hesitated.

"You ok?" Levon enquired.

"Yeah, sure. Let´s get going." Joe got up again and took the chart and pencil from the doc´s hand. He scribbled something on the form and returned it to the doc with a smug smile. Then he stuffed the clothes into the bag and headed out the door. With a shrug towards the doctor Levon trailed behind.

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Of course Joe insisted on going to the station, but only after a short stop to shower, shave and redress at his apartment. Levon resigned to his role as chauffeur. He knew there was no way to talk Joe out of his intended course.

Their lieutenant wasn´t pleased. Joanne gave Joe a once over and she did not like what she saw. But she said nothing. Instead she welcomed him back on the team and made it clear that he would have to do desk duty for today. Tomorrow would be Christmas Eve and both Levon and Joe would be on a well-deserved leave.

Joanne could see that Joe wasn´t content with the desk job but he nodded and went to his desk. When Levon wanted to follow his partner, she signed him to stay and close the door to her office.

"Levon, how is Joe?" There was worry in her voice.

"He discharged himself from the hospital," Levon said with a shrug.

"You mean the doc wanted to keep him there?"

"Yeah, it sounded like that."

"Ok." Joanne sighed. "I didn´t expect anything else. Please keep an eye on him, will you?"

"Shouldn´t be too difficult just sitting at the opposite desk," Levon said with a grin, before he turned to take a seat at his desk.

The day dragged on and Joe and Levon tried to make short work of the station´s paperwork. But Levon could see that Joe was not his usual efficient self. The number of files in his partner´s outbox did not grow. Though Joe was trying, he was in no shape to get the job done today.

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Early in the afternoon Joanne called Joe into her office. She could see that he was tense and did not know what to expect. Probably he thought that she was about to send him home. But he was in for a surprise.

"Joe, the Chief called. He wants to talk to you."

"What, why, now?" Joe felt uneasy.

"Yeah, now. Is that a problem for you?"

Joe hesitated just an instant. "No, no, not at all." But he remained standing before her desk.

"Joe."

"Yeah?"

"You, may go up to his office right away."

He looked a bit startled. "Yeah, sure." Then he turned and headed for the elevator.

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Joe hadn´t been to the Chief´s office before and already exiting the elevator gave him an uneasy feeling. He did not know what to expect and the lush carpeting and the heavy wooden doors on the Chief´s floor made him realize his own inferior status. Hesitantly he approached the Chief´s office, encountering the secretary as the natural barrier to the chambers of power. She barely looked up at him.

"Sergeant LaFiamma?"

"Yes, Mam."

"You may walk right through."

He steeled himself, drew in a deep breath, which unexpectedly caused a sharp pain in his chest. He halted for a second, then knocked lightly on the heavy door. He was glad he had insisted on dressing in a suit this morning instead of in the pair of jeans Levon had brought along.

"Come in." The voice spoke of authority.

Joe opened the door hesitantly and found himself facing two men. One he recognized as the Chief of Police. The other man was a stranger, stern face, well clipped grey hair, expensive suit.

"Sergeant LaFiamma, come on in." The Chief met Joe half way. "It´s good to see you are back on your feet."

Joe looked a bit startled. "Sir?" The close scrutiny the two men were giving him, made him feel uneasy.

"I have talked to your Lieutenant. She said you are an ambitious young man."

Joe did not know what to say.

"She also said that you are often too impulsive for your own good…"

Joe blushed in embarrassment.

"…and do your duty regardless of any risk to yourself."

Joe looked down at the tips of his shoes and wished he were somewhere else.

"LaFiamma, do you know why you are here?"

"No, Sir."

The two men smiled at each other and then at Joe.

"LaFiamma, Senator Read here wanted to speak to you." The Chief nodded towards his visitor.

Joe´s jaw dropped. Now it was the grey haired man´s turn to address Joe.

"Young man, I want to thank you. You´ve saved the life of my only child. My wife and I are forever in debt to you."

"Oh, I see…" It was clear that Joe had had no idea who he had saved.

"Did nobody tell you who the young lady was you saved so courageously from a certain death?" the Chief asked with a smile.

"No, Sir, I had no idea. The Lieutenant did not tell me." Joe felt foolish. He was sure Levon had kept him in ignorance on purpose. He would have a bone to pick with Lundy as soon as he got back to the bullpen.

"Well, as I said, my family and I would like to show our gratitude."

"Sir, what I did was just my duty and really nothing out of the ordinary. Any other officer would have done the same thing." Joe felt that he blushed even more.

"Nonsense, what I heard was something different," the senator made a gesture as if wiping away any objections. "You almost died. You disregarded the danger to your own life."

"That was really nothing, Sir." Joe sounded meekly by now.

"Listen, Son. My daughter will be released from the hospital tomorrow. We would like to invite you to join us for our Christmas dinner tomorrow night."

Joe´s eyes went wide in surprise. "Sir, thank you. That is most generous of you and your family. But I really can´t accept this."

The Senator looked a bit irritated.

"I hope you understand that my family would be very disappointed not to have me with them on Christmas Eve." Joe felt at once ashamed of the blatant lie. His answer had been totally spontaneous and he was not even sure of his own reasoning behind it. Being in Texas without his family always seemed like a blemish he tried to hide.

The Senator and the Chief exchanged glances.

"Yes, I understand, Sergeant. I don´t want to deprive your family of your company. But you must promise me that you will give me the chance to make up for it at some other time. Or is there anything I can do for you? I would really be glad to fulfill a wish for you."

The Senator searched Joe´s face and suddenly realized that Joe had paled. Joe felt a strange weakness in his legs and he swayed almost imperceptibly.

"Are you feeling ok, LaFiamma?" The Chief had made a step towards him.

Joe tried to pull himself together. "Yes Sir, I´m perfectly ok." He tried to breathe easy, but was afraid that the tiny beads of sweat forming on his upper lip might give him away. But the two men let it pass.

"Sir, may I get back to my work now? We still have a lot to do before the holidays." Joe wanted to get out of the unpleasant situation.

"Yes, sure, Sergeant. You may leave now." The Chief looked to the Senator who nodded.

"Thank you, Sir. And happy holidays to you and your families." Joe headed for the door.

"Yes, same to you, LaFiamma."

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When the door had closed on Joe the two older men looked at each other.

"Good young man," the Senator said. "Charming in fact. I can easily see my daughter fall for him," he added with a smile.

The Chief laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. And he´s one of our best men, too."

"A bad liar, though. Didn´t Beaumont say that he had no family down here?"

"That´s right, Senator, that´s right. But I hope you´re not holding the rejection of your invitation against him."

"No, but I certainly intend to keep an eye on the young man. After all I owe him the life of my child," the Senator added thoughtfully.

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Joe barely made it to the elevator. When he stepped into the car and the door closed behind him, he hit the stop button and leaned his back against the wall. The heatwave he had felt in the Chief´s office was replaced by a wave of icy cold that seized his body and suddenly he felt too weak to remain standing. Slowly he slid down to the ground, shivering and dizzy. For a few minutes he just sat there, unable to think straight, trying to catch his breath. He just wanted to rest for a short while. At last, the instant before sleep could claim him, he pulled himself up with one monumental effort. He pushed the button and the car continued its downward journey.

When he exited the elevator on the level of the Major Crimes Unit, he had regained his composure.

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Lundy looked up, curious to learn what the Chief had wanted from Joe.

"What´s up LaFiamma?"

Joe slumped down in his chair. His eyes narrowed as he sized up his partner. "Hey, Lundy. What did you think not telling me who that girl was? I looked like a fool up there." His rage was boiling close to the surface.

"Well, wouldn´t have changed anything, would it? You would have jumped in no matter who the victim had been." He smirked and at the same time realized that Joe was pissed. Perhaps Joe was right. It had been thoughtless to withhold that information from his partner. "What did the Chief want?"

"None of your business." Joe opened the file in front of him and evaded any further conversation.

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When the workday drew close to its end Levon tried to broach the subject of the upcoming holidays again.

"LaFiamma, have you made up your mind about where to stay for the holidays? That invitation to my grandmother´s home is still standing."

"Lundy, get off my back, will you? Don´t you think we hang out together already enough? And don´t you ever need a break? I certainly do. And I find it hard to believe that your grandmother would want to spend Christmas with a complete stranger."

"Complete stranger is a monumental exaggeration." Levon tried to break through Joe´s armor, but when Joe was in such a mood it was hard to get through to him.

Joe raised an eyebrow. "And how would that be?" he asked suspiciously.

Levon hesitated. He did not want to admit that he had frequently discussed Joe with his grandmother. He knew that Joe would clam up even more if he knew.

"Then what about dinner at Chicken´s? I won´t start out to Lombard before tomorrow morning. And I guess you are as hungry as I am." Levon tried to placate Joe with this suggestion.

"You´re wrong again, Lundy, as usual. I´m not hungry, just tired. But I would be grateful if you could give me a lift home." Joe wanted to get up, but all of a sudden he wasn´t sure he could muster the strength.

Levon shrugged. He got up and put on his jacket, then his hat. His next stride was directed towards the door. When he did not hear anything behind him, he turned back to look for his partner. Joe had dropped his head on his hands. Levon was back at his side at once. He crouched down on his heels.

"Joe, what´s wrong?" Levon put a hand on the other man´s shoulder.

At once Joe raised his head, but his voice was small. "Nothing, I am just so damn tired."

"Come on, let´s get you home." Levon put a hand under Joe´s arm and helped him up.

The ride to Joe´s apartment passed in silence. Joe looked out the window and after a while he closed his eyes. Levon was worried. What could he do to help Joe, when the man so obviously rejected every offer?

Levon brought the Jimmy to a halt. When Joe opened the door to get out Levon tried again: "Joe, don´t you want to think about it once more? I could still pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Lundy, just leave me alone, will you? I don´t need your company just out of pity." Joe got out of the car and without as much as another word headed for the entrance of the apartment building.

"Happy holidays," Levon mumbled under his breath.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Joe entered his apartment and the only thing he could think of was his need to lie down. Unable to move any further he halted at the foot of the spiral staircase that led up to his bedroom. When he put his hand on the handrail he realized that he would never make it up to his bed. He felt so damn weak. His legs were like lead. He stood there with his hand on the rail, despair rising in his suddenly constricted chest. Finally he let go of the rail and with one big effort made a backward step towards the couch. If he could make it there he could lie down and get some rest. He felt his knees buckle and the last thought on his mind was the realization that just for once leaving the hospital prematurely had been a mistake.

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

On the last evening before Christmas business wasn´t as lively as usual at Chicken´s. Most people had last minute shopping or other urgent errands on their agenda. So when Levon sat down at the bar Chicken immediately came over to serve his customer and long-time friend personally.

"Levon, how yah doin´? Everything set for Christmas? Will you be coming in for tomorrow´s party?"

"Sorry, Chicken, can´t make it. I promised my grandma to spend the holidays with her."

"Ah, you´re going to Lombard then?"

"Yeah, looking forward to it, too. It´s been a long time. Mother Minnie keeps reminding me that I am shamelessly neglecting her."

Chicken set down Levon´s usual in front of him. "And what about your partner, will he be joining you on the trip?"

Levon shrugged and tried to appear indifferent. "He said he did not want to be invited just out of pity."

"Hoh, hoh, that sounds just like the boy. But are you sure he did not misunderstand you?"

Levon wiped his mouth with the napkin. "Why, what do you mean?"

"Well, I don´t suppose you are offering him your pity, are you?"

"Well, of course not. But what else could I offer him, what do you think he´s expectin´?" Levon took a long draft from his bottle of beer.

"Levon, now you´re disappointing me. Has it never crossed your mind that you should offer Joe your friendship and that it was about time for that?"

Levon looked at his friend in surprise. Chicken was right. No less would he want pity than Joe would. And Joe was a good cop, a very reliable partner and… Levon had to admit that without realizing it Joe had become his friend in the past months. Slowly he nodded, Chicken was right. Joe deserved to be offered his friendship.

But the black man had already skipped to the next topic. "So where is the hero of the day now? Why did you not bring him along?"

The allusion made Levon realize that the news about the rescue must have reached Chicken by now. "Oh, you´re referring to what happened at the harbor."

"Yeah, the boy seems to have pulled a pretty stunt, from what I´ve heard."

"Yeah, would have been pretty if he hadn´t almost mucked up in the end. I had to go down and bring him up myself. He almost didn´t make it." The thought still gave Levon the creeps.

"Wow, that sounds like a close call to me. So where is the boy now?" Chicken´s face was serious.

"I dropped him off at his place on the way here. He was totally knackered." Levon continued to burrow into his food.

"You mean he´s alone at home? Has he been checked out by a doc?" Chicken seemed alarmed.

"Sure, they kept him hospitalized last night. But you know how the boy is. This morning he was already fit to be tied. He discharged himself."

"Levon, you know that it´s dangerous to leave someone alone who has been unconscious under water, don´t you?"

Levon had been stuffing French fries into his mouth, but now his jaw dropped open. "What do you mean, dangerous?"

"I lost a comrade in the Army way back then. He had an accident and he inhaled water. But we didn´t take it seriously enough, just didn´t know about it. He went to bed in the evening and the next morning he was dead."

Levon laid his fork aside and sat up straight. Chicken could see that his speech had made an impact on his friend. "But how could that happen? He surely must have been sick."

"No, he was a strong young man. The doc said it was a reaction of his lungs. It´s not common but sometimes it can happen." Chicken looked at Levon´s plate. "What´s wrong with the ribs, Levon?"

"Nothing, I just lost my appetite. I need to make a call." Levon jumped up and hurried to the payphone. He dialed Joe´s number and let the phone ring ten, twenty times. Then he smashed the receiver down on the cradle. Without returning to his plate he rushed past Chicken and out to the Jimmy.

"Hey, Levon, what´s with your food?"

"Put it on my tab, Chicken."

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

After a high speed ride to Joe´s apartment Levon ran up the stairs. With nervous fingers he fumbled for the spare key to his partner´s door, finally retrieving it from his pocket. Ever since a psychic stalker had bothered Joe and had in the end tried to kill Levon in his house, the partners kept a key to each other´s place.

Levon unlocked the door. The place was dark. To his right Levon felt for the light switch, flicking it on. A second he squinted his eyes shut to adjust to the light. Then he saw Joe. His partner lay on the floor, flat on his back, unconscious. His face was pale and his lips blue. Levon knelt down and felt for a pulse. It took a moment before he could feel the feeble beating of Joe´s heart. He put an ear to Joe´s lips. The breathing was shallow and laborious, a wheezing sound coming from the unconscious man. Levon turned to the phone and dialed 911.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

There was no use in putting it off any longer. Levon reached for the payphone in the hospital lobby and dialed the number of his grandmother. She answered after the fifth ring.

"Mother Minnie, it´s Levon."

Having raised Levon after the death of his mother and the departure of his father, Mother Minnie could read every nuance in his voice. "Levon, what´s wrong? Aren´t you on your way yet?"

"No, Mother Minnie, I can´t make it. I´m real sorry about that."

Mother Minnie recognized the contriteness for what it was. She knew Levon would never put her off with a lame excuse. "What happened, Levon?" she asked calmly.

"My partner…"

"Joe?"

"Yeah, Joe. Two days ago he saved a girl from drowning in the harbor, almost drowned himself. He was in hospital for a night but left prematurely. Yesterday night he collapsed in his apartment. His lungs had filled with fluid. The doc said it´s called secondary drowning. It´s some kind of reaction to the water he inhaled." Levon found it hard to put the facts into words.

"He´s going to be alright, isn´t he?"

"They don´t know. He´s in the ICU now, they are draining his lungs and they put him on a respirator." Levon swallowed. "But he is in a coma. They said that if his brain got too little oxygen ..." his voice broke, he was unable to put the threatening prospect into words.

"Levon, you must not give up on him. You know where there is life there is always hope."

After a short pause Levon pulled himself together. "I´m sorry to spoil your Christmas, Mother Minnie. But I really need to stay here."

"Of course you need to stay with Joe. Don´t worry about me, Levon, we´ll make up for that another time. And then you´ll bring Joe along."

"Thanks Mother Minnie."

"Levon, about Joe rescuing that girl, I think I read about it in the paper. Wasn´t it Senator Read´s daughter?"

"Yeah, if he had only stayed in hospital like he was supposed to." _If I had only kept a wary eye on him like I was supposed to_ , was more what Levon wanted to say.

"I know you would have done the same thing, Little Levon. You too would have done everything to get out of the hospital as quickly as possible. And Joe is a hero, they wrote they want to give him a medal of bravery for what he did."

"Yeah, I just hope he will have a chance to receive it."

There was yet one more call Levon had to place before he could return to his partner´s side. He dialed his Lieutenant´s number.

"Beaumont." Joanne´s respond bore the usual professional tone.

"Joanne, it´s Levon."

"Anything new?" Though she tried to keep her anxiety to herself, Levon could hear a slight quiver in her voice.

"No, nothing new. Did you reach Joe´s family?"

"Yes. I spoke to his uncle." It must have cost her quite an effort to call the Chicago mob boss. "He urgently asked me to call him in case there are any changes. But he is planning to come down himself the day after tomorrow at the latest, or if..." Her speech faltered, the unspoken words remained hanging between them.

Pushing the threatening options aside she changed the subject. "Levon, I put you on unpaid leave. Right now I don´t see any other way to handle this, if you want to stay with Joe."

"That´s just fine by me, Joanne, thanks." He knew that what she had done was a great concession. Not every superior would have allowed him to stay away from the job for an indefinite time.

"Thanks for staying with Joe. All the colleagues´ thoughts are with him." She hesitated, finding it somehow inappropriate to bring across the usual complimentary close. But then she said it nonetheless: "Merry Christmas, Levon."

Levon´s voice was calm though he felt like crying out loud at the injustice of fate. "Merry Christmas, Joanne."

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

So now Christmas Eve had arrived, and as ironical as it seemed, Levon realized that Joe had gotten exactly what he wanted. Joe had dreaded the thought of spending his first Christmas in Houston, far away from his home and family and without friends. Now he was in a coma and oblivious to the festive season. He felt no loneliness and homesickness. But neither had he any idea how his condition effected his family in Chicago and his colleagues and their families in Houston. His predicament hung over all of them like a dark cloud.

As if to reflect this general depressive mood the weather followed the same line. The low-pressure area that had already hung over Houston for days turned out to be especially persistent. It kept torturing the region with heavy cold rains and strong winds. Once again the winter in Houston proved true to its repute: it was a wrung out floor rug or, as some would say, it was as wet as a drowning cat. And the forecast did not give any indication when this might change.

The days dragged on and the medical staff did everything to save Joe´s life. They drained the fluid from his lung, they monitored his heart and kept him on a respirator. When a raging fever seized Joe´s body they administered antibiotics. And they had him on oxygen all the time.

In the meantime Levon sat by, unable to do anything. And every day a stream of visitors passed by Joe´s door and tried to render moral support. Annie, Joanne, Chicken, Esteban, the Chief of Police, Senator Read…

On the second day of Christmas Joe´s uncle Michael LaFiamma arrived. Expensive black suit and likewise expensive polished Italian shoes, black hair with a few streaks of grey framed a face that was furrowed with deep worry lines. He took turns with Levon to hold vigil at Joe´s bedside. On the occasion of a shared lunch he mercilessly interrogated Levon about the circumstances which had led to Joe´s condition. Levon could not withhold the fact that he had left Joe alone when he had not been well. Michael LaFiamma did not comment on this, but his stern look said it all. Though the mob boss appeared cold and calculating on the outside, Levon could see how deep his worries were for the nephew he had raised like his own child. After Joe´s father and then his mother had died Michael and Teresa LaFiamma had taken Joe into their family.

Michael LaFiamma stayed for four days. Joe´s condition improved and finally he could be taken off the respirator. He also was released from the ICU and was transferred to a private room. Senator Read had insisted on paying for the upgrade. He had even sent a small fully decorated Christmas tree that was now standing in one corner of Joe´s room.

The doctors said that Joe was gradually improving but they could not assess when or if he would wake up again. So when Michael LaFiamma finally needed to leave, he took Levon aside for one last private word.

"Mr. Lundy, I know that Joe is not happy here and often misses his family. I am sorry that I am not able to change that. But whenever he called and spoke of you, I could always perceive that he valued you highly, and not just as his partner on the police force." The mob boss hesitated and his voice was full of emotions when he continued. "I would like to ask you to take care of my boy."

Levon nodded. He could feel the deep love for Joe behind the sleek façade of the mobster. "I will, Sir. I promise."

XIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIXIX

The year drew to a close. As if to complement Joe´s improvement the wet and stormy weather finally subsided and made way for a dryer and calmer spell. For the last twenty-four hours Levon had detected tiny movements of Joe´s hands. When he had told the doc about it the physician had expressed his hope that Joe would soon regain consciousness.

Just when the lights of the town began to twinkle in the dusk Levon had fallen asleep in his chair. He did not know what woke him but when he looked up he blinked at the picture before him. Joe´s eyes were open and he looked directly at him. Levon closed his eyes again to clear his vision and when he reopened them Joe was still looking at him. Then Joe reached out a hand and Levon got hold of it.

"Levon?" Joe´s voice was coarse and not more than a faint whisper.

"Right here, boy, right here." Levon smiled. Then he pressed the call button and when the nurse came in and saw Joe awake she quickly went to fetch the doctor. The ensuing brief examination confirmed that Joe was alright. He had not suffered any brain damage and not even a loss of memory. After that, however, the patient had drifted off into sleep again.

Levon felt that a monumental weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He made calls to Michael LaFiamma, Joanne, Chicken and Mother Minnie. They were all overjoyed and relieved at the news. Then he went to the cafeteria and had a large supper. There wasn´t much on the menu but he didn´t care, he was just as hungry as a bear.

Back at Joe´s bedside he mused about the next days. When he looked at his watch he realized that it was close to midnight.

When Joe quietly addressed him Levon realized that he was awake again. "Levon, could you give me some water?"

"Sure." He helped Joe to a glass of water. He noticed that Joe´s eyes wandered about the room and rested on the small Christmas tree for a while. Then he looked back at Levon.

"Where am I? This does not look like a hospital room?"

"Mercy General, as usual. It´s just a private room."

Joe raised an eyebrow. "And the tree? Is it Christmas already?"

"Oh, it´s way past Christmas already."

"How long have I been out of it?" Joe pulled himself up and Levon bunched up an additional pillow behind his back.

"Oh, it´s been a few days."

"How come I´m in a private room?"

"Senator Read paid for it. He also sent the tree."

"Oh." Joe thought for a moment. "How is his daughter?"

"She is alright. Left the hospital on Christmas Eve to celebrate with her family."

Joe looked down at his hands. "Yeah, they invited me for that."

"I know, the Senator told me so. But he does not hold a grudge against you for rejecting his invitation."

Joe looked up again and searched Levon´s face. "And you?"

"What about me?" Levon wasn´t sure what Joe was implying.

"Do you hold a grudge against me for rejecting your invitation?"

Levon hadn´t expected the subject to surface so rapidly. This presented him with the desired opportunity to turn things for the better between them. He smiled. "No, nor does Mother Minnie."

"You mean you haven´t been to see her?" Joe asked with deep concern as the realization hit him.

"No, of course I haven´t. I´ve been here all the time."

"I´m sorry about that, Levon." Joe sounded genuinely contrite. "I didn´t mean to keep you from seeing your grandmother."

"No need to be sorry, you didn't do it on purpose. And by the way, I would like to renew the invitation, but this time for a different reason. Perhaps we could go to Lombard when you are better and after your holiday."

"For what different reason?" Joe looked at him suspiciously.

"You said you rejected the invitation because you didn´t want any pity. I understand that. Now I would like to offer you something else."

"What?" Joe´s eyes had gone wide, his face one big question.

"I would like to offer you my friendship."

Joe´s jaw dropped. He tried to say something but did not get out a single word. Then he laid back on the pillow and closed his eyes with a sigh. After a while Levon thought that Joe had fallen asleep again, but then his partner´s eyes suddenly flew open.

"Levon, what´s this about a holiday?"

"The doc said you should take a holiday before going back to work and he recommended for you to go someplace where the climate is warmer than here. He said it would help your lung heal properly."

"Yeah, sure, it´s not nice to make fun of me just because I´m down." Joe´s voice bore a resigned and slightly sarcastic note while his mind wandered to his notoriously empty bank account.

"I´m not making fun of you. It´s all paid for, a two week stay in a premium health clinic in Florida, flights included."

"Levon!" Joe uttered indignantly.

"I´m serious. Senator Read insisted on paying for it. You can go there as soon as you are fit enough to be discharged from the hospital." Levon let the news sink in. "And when you´re back the Chief of Police wants to officially present you with a medal of honor for your bravery."

"Oh God, Levon, stop being so damn pathetic." Joe was wondering at the extent of mockery Levon was putting him through.

"If you don´t believe me you can call Joanne." Levon smirked.

"Really? Anything else I should know?" By now Joe was overwhelmed by the news and at the same time suspicious of what else to expect.

"Year, actually, when I come to think of it, there might be another reason for the invitation to Lombard."

"Not just friendship?"

"No."

"What else then?"

"Fear."

"Fear?" Joe sat up straight on the bed.

"Yeah. Your uncle did not explicitly say what would happen if I did not take better care of you. But I guess that I did not misread him. He´s quite good at putting things across without words."

First Joe was flabbergasted. Then he smiled and Levon found it hard not to smile back at him.

"Yeah, I know. I´ve learned the hard way when I was a teenager growing up in Uncle Mickey´s family." He started to laugh. "And on countless occasions at that." Joe´s laughter came from the heart and it was infectious. Levon could not remember ever seeing Joe laugh like this before. It was amazing how Joe´s face lit up and seemed totally transformed. No trace of gloom tainted the handsome features.

Outside a few premature firecrackers lit the night sky. In between laughs Joe finally managed to ask: "What day is it, Levon? I am getting the impression that I have missed Christmas for good this year."

As if to confirm Joe´s assumption the customary New Year´s firework display ignited in the Houston night sky with its full force. The clock had just turned midnight.

"You did," Levon answered with a broad smile. "Happy New Year, Joe."

"Thanks Levon." With a sudden feeling of warmth Joe realized that the New Year was bound to turn out better for him than the old one. With a warm smile of friendship he returned the good wishes. "Happy New Year to you too."

In unison the partners and now friends turned to face the Houston night sky and watched the brilliant colorful pyrotechnics that celebrated the arrival of the New Year.

 **THE END**

Thanks for reading my fanfiction. Feedback and reviews are highly appreciated.


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